Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs and The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe

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Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs and The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe In this essay, I will be answering all the aspects of the question above, with my views and beliefs. I will then finish with a conclusion, stating who has created more suspense than the other through their stories. The monkeys paw is set in a typical horror story setting, an isolated, lonely place with no one around. The story is based around a talisman given to a family which can allegedly grant wishes. This of course has consequences, and it leaves the family who received the paw heart broken. The black cat is about a man who through various courses of action ends up killing a black cat that he cherished. The cat then comes back to haunt and distress him. Both stories are Gothic horror stories that build up suspense and tensions in different ways. The setting that is established in 'The Monkey's Paw,' is typical of the genre. A lonely house on a lonely street, no one else around. There is not a lot of civilisation around. If something were to happen, the family involved will have no where to run or anyone to call for help. In the mind of the reader, a scary place is created. We the readers, start to expect something to do with ghosts or phantoms. We know that later on, something will happen. Darkness, the candles lit loneliness all lead to the build up of tension. In the black cat, we are not quite sure from where the writer is telling, but it appears to be a prison. The house that is used sounds like a fairly normal detached house. In terms of suspense and tension, the location used in 'The Monkey's Paw' is more of what a reader would suspect for a horror st... ... middle of paper ... ...cter of horror stories. This adds a unique point to the story that makes us the reader want to read on. The common thing between the two stories is that they have both left us wondering what would probably happen next. We would read sequels if they existed, to clear up any questions, and that's why it builds up suspense. W.W Jacobs uses short, frantic sentences to build suspense and tension. Edgar Allen Poe uses long-winded sentences to build suspense with not a great deal of detail. I personally feel that both stories don't pack the suspense needed to scare us nowadays. But out of the two, I would have to say that Edgar Allen Poe is probably the closer of the two to scare us nowadays. We have seen too many zombie related films, but the twists and differences in the Black Cat probably make's it feel the better story.

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